Bloody Wishes
by SixPerfections
Summary: The Cullens abandon Bella in Forks. To uphold the Law the Denali take it upon themselves to either kill Bella or turn her. Bella wanted to be a vampire? She just might be getting her wish after all. Femslash if longer. Omegaverse story.
1. Chapter 1

**AN1: So did the Denali ever protest when the Cullens decided to abandon Bella in Forks? Not because they cared about the girl but because ****_if the Volturi found out they would have an excuse to execute every single Cullen_****. The Denali were well aware of Bella's existence by that point. Didn't it ever cross their minds 'what happened to that human girl who knows all about vampires' when they found out the Cullens left Forks? Kind of something they're prickly about, those pesky laws. This is my take on what should have happened. **

**AN2: I'm not sure if this is a one shot or if I will continue it. I guess it all depends on the type of response I get. If I did continue this it would probably be Bella/Tanya femslash. Let me know what you think. **

000

You pick up a few things over a thousand years. Always have multiple escape routes and places you can retreat to. Have a good relationship with the local constabulary. Fools who think they are in love will often (always) do the most asinine of things. And never, ever leave any loose ends.

As a vampire Tanya didn't get headaches anymore. However she had picked up the relatively modern habit of pinching the bridge of her nose when a particularly headache-worthy issue came up. It seemed appropriate now when confronting the mindboggling _recklessness_ and _stupidity_ of their so-called 'cousins'.

It wasn't very often that Tanya questioned her decision to allow her coven to become affiliated with the Olympic Coven. Unfortunately this was one of those times.

"Are you _sure_ there's no way to contact them?" Tanya asked her dear sister, Kate, who looked like she had just drank sour blood.

The two of them sat in the front porch of their Alaskan home across from each other. It was a beautiful early afternoon but neither of the two "sisters" paid it much attention. They were much more concerned about the Cullen's sudden and unexpected departure from Forks.

"Nope. No forwarding address, they ditched all their cell phones and all their e-mails keep bouncing back everything I send. They just upped and disappeared doing a scorched earth on anything that could lead back to them. Apparently they didn't think to leave us a few lines of communication open in their hurry to get rid of everything," said Kate in a voice that made it clear just how very _pleased_ she was with this whole situation.

Normally Tanya would have thought it a bit rude that they had never gotten any warning from the Cullens but would not have given the situation much thought. After living a thousand years if the Cullens disappeared for a decade or two before contacting them it really wouldn't be a big deal at all. The only problem was that in their infinite _wisdom_ the babies of the Olympic Coven (and Tanya was including Carlisle in that group) had decided to leave a loose end. A loose end that just happened to be big enough to very easily become a noose around the neck of every member of that coven.

For some asinine, _completely incomprehensible _reason the Cullens seemed to have left Edward's little human plaything behind. By herself. Alive. And with full knowledge of vampires.

_What were they thinking? _Thought Tanya._ No wait, the answer is perfectly self-evident. This was all high strung emotion and no thinking. Like running out into the middle of a busy highway to save a stray kitten._

Honestly she'd thought that at least Carlisle and Esme would have had a modicum of responsibility and common sense. Apparently that was too much to ask for.

Why did she associate her coven with them again?

_Now I'm going to be the one left cleaning up their mess if I don't want to see them executed. One thousand years is too old to be picking up after children. _

"Are we sure they didn't just kill the girl or take her with them?" asked Tanya in a tone that said she already knew the answer. The turn of her full mouth was decidedly unpleasant.

Kate huffed. "There is only one Swan household in Forks. I called and asked to speak to Isabella last night. The father put me on the phone with the damn girl. I was almost tempted to say something like 'keep your mouth shut until we kill you', only with more creativity and class, you know?" A smile spread across Kate's lips. "We haven't killed a human in what? Thirty years? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to break our diet just this once, both for the trouble she's caused and because of how Edward was swearing up and down she was the best human he ever smelled."

Tanya ignored her sister as they both knew she had a point. The problem was that the Cullens had most likely left the girl behind out of some warped emotional attachment… warped because it led them to ignore the very real threat of execution by the Volturi should this ever come to light. If the Denali just went to Forks and killed the Swan girl it would most likely destroy their relationship with the Cullens for good. Tanya and Kate exchanged glances, centuries spent as sisters and on-again, off-again lovers communicating everything that needed to be said between them.

"Are we really going to do this?" Kate said with a resigned air, "because for the record, this is possibly one of the more messed up reasons to turn someone in recent memory. It would be all about covering our asses and staying on the good side of those _hlúpy _Cullens. It's not like we actually know or give a shit about this girl."

"We'll not turn her against her will," said Tanya leaning back on her chair as she looked off into the woods thoughtfully, "we'll offer her a choice."

"Between vampirism and death? Not much of a choice."

Tanya sighed. "Perhaps. Still it is better than no choice. Most of us don't even get that much."

A stretch of comfortable silence passed between them before Kate suddenly grinned and broke out in laughter for no apparent reason. "Edward is going to be _so pissed_. He was so damn adamant about not turning her into a vampire too."

"If he would have used his brain for two seconds before revealing himself to the girl he would have known it would eventually come to this. I honestly feel very little pity for him. He brought this on himself and the only _real_ victim here is the girl. All because he had a crush," said Tanya, voice tinged with irritation, "and now we are the ones who will most likely be stuck caring for a newborn. I'll be having _words_ with that whole coven when they finally decide to get in contact."

Kate made a noise of agreement. She wanted to have a little more than just _words_ with them too. "Any idea what this girl will be like?" Kate asked.

"Knowing Edward? Probably a simpering wallflower who spent her time hanging on his every word. The whole family seemed fond of her though with one obvious exception so perhaps there is more to her. I guess I'll find out when I get to Forks," said Tanya.

"You're not going to wait for 'rina and the rest to come back?" asked Kate.

Tanya shook her head as she stood up. "It wouldn't change anything anyway and every day the girl is still out there is another day this situation could get those damn fools killed."

Kate nodded. "Want me to come with you?"

Tanya smiled at her sister. "I've got it. Just arrange the transportation if you could."

"Can do. When are you leaving?"

Tanya took a deep exasperated breath. "As soon as I get changed. Time to go see this girl who had the whole Olympic Coven tied up in knots. Hope she's worth all this trouble though honestly? I doubt it."


	2. Chapter 2

**Good News: I updated! Yay! **

**The Maybe Good News: When I started this story I wasn't quite sure where I was going with it. In the end I decided to make this an Omegaverse story. For those of you that don't know Omegaverse means a world with Alpha/Beta/Omega natures for everyone. All Alphas have a dominant nature and can grow a cock (yes even the Alpha females). All the Omegas have/can grow a vagina, are generally the subs and can get pregnant (even the Omega males). The Betas can't change their genitals and are basically the switches of the bunch. There is more to it but you can look it up on your own or just read the story and find out what it's all about on your own (O._.O). **

**Now on to the story! **

000

Throughout history it had always been unsettling for Tanya all the different things that enough money could buy you. In fact in her experience enough money could buy you literally anything as long as it didn't inconvenience the people in power. A phone call to a reputable detective agency and a credit card number had gotten Tanya everything she could have wanted to know about one Isabella Marie Swan. Her addresses, past and present. School records. Criminal records. Internet history. Friends. Family. Work address. Make, model and license number of her car. Had she had any malicious intent young Isabella Swan would have found herself in a great deal of trouble.

Well. Tanya supposed whether her intent was malicious or not was entirely in the eye of the beholder. Though if she was honest her actions had very little to do with the girl herself and everything to do with protecting friends. Such good friends to her Coven in fact that she even called them family. And like with any good friend Tanya felt a responsibility to protect them… even if it was from their own stupidity.

At the end of the day Isabella Swan was simply collateral damage. Still that didn't mean that Tanya would be anything less than polite and gentle with the girl. Even if she did end up killing her, the fact that she was an innocent caught up in this mess at least earned her Tanya's consideration.

Then again, you could only come across as so gentle when telling someone their only choices were forcible recruitment into a Coven of vampires they had never met or death. Tanya doubted it would go over very well. These kinds of things rarely did.

Would Isabella Swan choose death? Or would she choose life? Either way Tanya's life – and that of her entire Coven – would be changed forever. This would either alienate them from the Cullens – possibly for good – or it would mean a new addition to her little family. A new addition Tanya had never met before or asked for. What a mess. _Goddess save us from young bucks in love trampling everything in their path without a care in the world._

After debating how she was going to do this, Tanya decided that the direct approach was best. Catching Isabella off guard would also allow her to get a better read on the girl. That is why Tanya was leaning against the girl's truck waiting for her to get off work. Dressed in casual and comfortable clothes suited for the cold weather Tanya didn't stand out too much in the small parking lot, though the sunglasses she wore had gotten her an odd look or two. Well no matter. People might report seeing a blonde woman around the time that Isabella Swan disappeared but that was hardly enough for anyone who would go looking for the girl to go on.

Tanya waited patiently until the time when the girl was supposed to get off of work finally arrived. Twenty minutes later the girl Tanya knew to be Isabella Swan walked out the back door of the building she worked in. It was easy enough to recognize her from the pictures she had seen.

As soon as the girl was in sight Tanya scented the air. Her eyes widened a small fraction and she felt her fangs threatening to drop. The girl… Isabella smelled absolutely delectable. Mouthwatering, in a very literal sense. Suddenly Kate's suggestion that they break their diet and drain the girl dry sounded much, _much_ more appealing. Tanya had to shake the sudden strong urge to spirit the girl away to the woods and bury her fangs into the subtly jumping pulse on her neck she could see even from this far away. Edward had been right, this girl's olfactory appeal was on a whole other level. It had been… centuries since a human had tested her control so much with just their scent alone.

There was also something else… she already knew from the material she had paid for that Isabella was a registered Omega. But something about her scent just _screamed_ Omega at the top of its lungs. It made the Alpha in Tanya stand up and take notice. _Possess. Protect. Breed. _Though it was too subtle for regular humans to notice Tanya could tell by her scent the girl was on drugs to stop her from going into Heat. Tanya could also tell that had the girl not been on those drugs she would have been in the height of her Heat right now. _Goddess. You're determined to test my control aren't you Miss Swan?_

Next to the effect the Miss Swan's scent had on Tanya her looks were trivial but that did not mean they were lacking. The girl was very attractive, in a girl next door kind of way, with a shapely figure that no doubt had both the Alphas and the male Betas in her school tripping over each other in their attempts to charm and knot her. Dark hair, brown eyes, all very lovely. If she so chose Isabella Swan would make a stunning vampire.

_I'm starting to see why the Olympic Coven was so fascinated with you Miss Swan. _

Tanya allowed the totality of Isabella Swan to overwhelm her senses for a moment longer before clamping down and chaining all her intense instincts and desires. They were strong, yes, oh were they ever so strong, but Tanya had had many lifetimes to learn to control her 'animal' sides, both as a dominant Alpha and as a vampire. She would not allow the torrent of feelings currently coursing through her to get in the way of doing this the right way. Maybe, however, she should have taken the time to feed before coming to see young Isabella.

The girl walked from the building she worked in towards her car – and Tanya – while keeping her eyes to the ground. On closer inspection the girl did not look well. There was an exhausted and defeated quality to her stance, to her gait, to the way she held her shoulders. Circles under her eyes suggested the girl had not been sleeping well. Walking with her eyes firmly on the ground while seeming oblivious to the world around her was another sign that all was not well in the house of Swan. _I wonder, is this a result of my Counsins' actions? Or is it something else? _

Isabella was barely six feet away when she finally noticed there was someone leaning against her truck. The girl looked up, big brown doe eyes blinking in confusion as she took in the stranger seemingly relaxing against her truck like she owned it. Tanya observed the girl examining her, a question on the very tip of Miss Swan's tongue before the girl froze. It was amusing for Tanya to see the girl's eyes slowly widen as she took in all the little clues that suggested at what the blonde woman leaning against her truck really was. Isabella's face paled and her features became an odd mix of both fear and hope. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, no words coming out, and Tanya suspected that Miss Swan simply couldn't think of way to ask if she was really a vampire.

Deciding to take pity on her Tanya lowered her sunglasses and looked at Isabella over the top of them. The girl gasped when she saw Tanya's eyes, a riotous circus of emotions playing across her features when she saw their slightly darkened golden color reflected back at her. _My, my Miss Swan. You really do have a most expressive face, showing all of your naked emotions for all the world to see. Such innocence. How marvelous. _

"What…? Who…?" Isabella managed to stutter out in a whisper. The girl looked so emotional Tanya began to fear she would start to hyperventilate. Or faint.

"Miss Swan," Tanya said in a soothing voice that at the same time left no room for argument or disagreement, "I'm afraid you'll have to come with me. We have some serious matters to discuss."

000

**A/N: Sorry if it was short. Let me know what you think. Do you want me to continue?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Quick update. Just felt inspired to write more. Things are starting to move along!**

**000**

_"Miss Swan," Tanya said in a soothing voice that at the same time left no room for argument or disagreement, "I'm afraid you'll have to come with me. We have some serious matters to discuss."_

The older one became, the more patient they tended to become, and Tanya had been around for a long, long time. She simply watched as the little Omega in front of her closed her eyes, her whole body shuddering from emotion. With visible effort the Swan girl began to force the raging storm inside her under some level of control. Tanya found herself a little bit surprised at the depth of emotion she was seeing. It seemed that Isabella had cared very deeply for her Cousins and their sudden unexpected departure had hurt her deeply.

When the girl looked at Tanya again the vampire found herself momentarily distracted by those big, pretty brown eyes. The coven leader felt a familiar stirring in her lower belly and in her blood, all her world suddenly closing in around her and focusing solely on the pretty young thing in front of her that just smelled _so good_. With decisive viciousness Tanya clamped down on those feelings before they could start to get out of hand. _Definitely should have fed before coming here. Not doing so was unnecessarily cocky and risky of me. _

"Are you quite all right Miss Swan?" Tanya asked, just a hint patronizing and amused, after a few more moments passed without the girl saying anything. Young Isabella seemed to be having a hard time finding her words and kept looking at Tanya like if she blinked, the vampire in front of her would suddenly disappear.

"Are you… are you with the Cullens?" the girl finally asked hesitantly, wrapping her arms across her own body and hugging herself unconsciously. There was hope and pain in her eyes, so raw and real it was almost uncomfortable to look at. Miss Swan seemed to be the very definition of… what was that modern phrase? _Wearing her heart on her sleeve._ It was… refreshingly honest. Tanya's world had long been one of a thousand and one masks. In her world seeing someone's true face was a gift, a sign of the deepest trust and respect. It was not something freely given for all the world to see.

_Even after all this time humans can still sometimes surprise me. What a pretty and rare thing you are turning out to be, little Omega. _

"Am I 'with' the Cullens?" Tanya said, pushing her sunglasses back up to cover her eyes. "In a manner of speaking I suppose. You can think of me as a dear family friend, or as extended family."

"Do you know where they are?" Isabella blurted in a rush, cutting off anything further that Tanya might have said. _Rather rude of you Miss Swan _Tanya thought with a hint of amusement and irritation.

"And what if I did?" asked Tanya, tilting her head slightly in curiosity as she peered at Isabella. "Would you hop on your truck, or the first plane perhaps, and rush off to find them? They abandoned you Miss Swan. A lady should accept a young gentleman's rejection with graciousness and dignity." Tanya added the last bit because she was almost positive that young Miss Swan had been the reason that the Cullens had left, and that Edward had been the architect of the whole debacle. Carlisle always did spoil him too much.

"Ah… I…" Isabella said, looking at Tanya like the taller woman had slapped her. That girl looked away, her voice becoming sad and bitter. "It is… about… _him_," Isabella said, the last word cracking in pain, "but it's about more than that. Some of the others…" the girl trailed off before swallowing uncomfortably and glancing back at Tanya. "They… _at least _owe me an explanation."

_That sad and bitter tone of voice doesn't suit you very well pretty Omega, not at all._ Tanya was surprised to see this Omega wasn't completely a without moxie. She apparently felt passionately that some of the Cullens had wronged her, and perhaps they had. Certainly it wasn't something she would put beyond Edward, petulant man-child that he could be sometimes.

"Please," said Isabella, her eyes shining and pleading, her voice desperate as she hugged herself tighter. "Just tell me what you know."

Tanya couldn't help but feel a degree of sympathy for the broken, hurting human girl in front of her. Her days of outright sadism were long behind her and these days she was actually able to sympathize with the pain of mere humans… one of the reasons she had made the choice to live off the blood of animals. However that did not mean that she was no longer able – or willing – to kill when necessary. Her priority here was protecting her cousins, not this girl's pain. She wouldn't allow herself to be moved by the plight of the – admittedly captivating – human specimen before her.

"As I said I need you to come with me Miss Swan," Tanya said, her voice smooth and strong, the trace of an Eastern accent coloring her pronunciation. There was an almost hypnotic quality to her words. "We have important matters to discuss. If you come without a fuss I'll tell you what I know about this situation and perhaps even shed some light as to why they left."

It took a few moments but Tanya spotted it when _finally_ the girl's survival instincts seemed to kick in, at least to some small extent. Suddenly Isabella seemed to remember that she was standing across from a strange vampire, one that was demanding in not so many words that they go off together to someplace more private to talk… somewhere presumably where there wouldn't be any witnesses around. The girl's look suddenly became more wary and guarded, and she leaned her body away from Tanya as if to put a little more space between them. A subtle hint of fear reached Tanya's nose and the vampire had to stop herself from reacting to the way it seemed to enhance the girl's scent and make it even _more_ tantalizing.

"Why do you want me to come with you?" asked Isabella in a small voice, a hint of suspicion in her tone. While it might have been better to sweet talk and charm the girl having to resist her scent was making Tanya slightly more irritable. Besides she didn't need the girl's consent. It would just be less messy – and more pleasant all around – if she didn't have to force the girl to do what she wanted her to.

"As I said," Tanya reiterated, looking Isabella in the eye over the top of her glasses and injecting just a hint of Alpha command into her voice. "We need to have a serious conversation. You will come with me Isabella Marie Swan. Then if you behave you may get the answers to some of your questions."

Tanya watched as Isabella's breath hitched and her body shuddered slightly as Tanya allowed a bit of her dominant aura to wash over the girl as she articulated her 'request'. Even though they were perfectly capable of doing so most Omegas had a hard time saying no to a strong Alpha. Their instincts were to submit, to bare their throat, to obey, to be bred.

Tanya had no doubt Isabella would be able to refuse almost any human Alpha's dominant aura if she wanted to but Tanya was far from ordinary, nor was she merely human. Even in her human life she had been an exceptionally strong Alpha in a world where female Alphas has been treated with both scorn and loathing. As a vampire, and with a thousand years of experience under her belt, there was hardly any human on Earth she could not dominate with the force of her aura and her Alpha personality alone. One little human Omega not even two decades old, no matter how unique, would never have a prayer of refusing her if Tatyana Denali decided she wanted to be obeyed.

Still, she hadn't felt the need to really force the issue in this case. Just a hint of the overwhelming aura she could produce would be enough to push the girl over the edge. After all, she was already tempted to come with her despite knowing how dangerous vampires could be. _The moth will jump into the flame, even knowing it will get burned. _

Sure enough, after a few moments young Miss Swan swallowed nervously and looked at Tanya in the face while carefully avoiding meeting her eyes, lest it be taken as a challenge. "Alright," she said, her voice trembling just a little, "I have to find out why… what, what happened with the Cullens. I'll come with you if you tell me what you know."

_If that's how you want to justify it to yourself._ Still, Tanya couldn't help but smile to herself a little. Even giving in the little Omega was still trying to be defiant and trying to set conditions. "You have my word Miss Swan. I'll tell you as much as I am able, so long as I am not revealing secrets that are not mine to tell." Tanya felt comfortable in making that promise. After all, after their conversation young Isabella Swan would never be going back to her human life… either she would become one of them, or she would be dead.

Strangely, Tanya found herself wishing for the former rather than the latter.

"All right," said Isabella, looking so nervous that she might be sick, but there was a determination in her stance and a small fire in her eyes that had been missing before. Tanya decided that being on a mission looked good on her.

Pushing off the truck and standing to her full height – she had at least four inches on the young Miss Swan – Tanya held out one of her pale hands towards the young girl expectantly.

"Keys," Tanya said.

"What?" Isabella asked in confusion.

"We're taking your truck," Tanya said in a friendly voice that at the same time left no room for argument, "and I'm driving."

Isabella looked reluctant and ready to refuse but one sharp look from Tanya stopped her cold. Once again the air filled slightly with the tart smell of the girl's fear. Isabella looked away, the girl feeling more than a bit intimidated by the obviously powerful Alpha vampire in front of her. Reluctantly young Miss Swan reached into her pocket and placed her keys into Tanya's waiting hand.

"Excellent," said Tanya in a slightly more cheerful tone before turning around and unlocking the driver's side door. After climbing halfway into the truck she turned around and looked at the still unmoving Isabella over the top of her glasses. "Are you coming?"

Huffily, and muttering something about not acting like she owned her truck, Isabella stalked over to the other side and got in through the passenger door. Tanya took her time getting in and starting the engine, feeling eyes filled with trepidation, curiosity and a desire to _know_ trained on her the whole time.

_I hope that when this is over Miss Swan,_ Tanya thought as she put the truck in reverse, _no matter how it goes that_ _you might someday find it in your heart to forgive me for what I'm about to do to you._

000

**A/N: Another short chapter, but I think I like this daily-updates-with-short-chapters format for now. Let me know what you think! **


	4. Chapter 4

Tanya had decided where she would take the girl ahead of time; not far from Forks was the Olympic National Forest which the current iteration of the Olympic coven had named itself after. It was an absolutely massive national park that encompassed more than half of the Olympic Peninsula. Plenty of isolated roads and out-of-the-way places were to be found, especially in this time of year. It would give them all the privacy they would need no matter what happened next.

Tanya noticed young Miss Swan getting increasingly anxious as they left the town limits of Forks and drove further down rural country roads, though the girl said nothing even as she gripped the armrest and held her body tense with fear and uncertainty as the miles rolled by. The various scents the girl was putting off in the confined space of the cab were becoming so strong and so _very_ tempting that Tanya had to stop breathing all together. There was… something about this girl. Though Tanya was confident she wouldn't lose control it should not have taken this much effort to keep herself in check. More than once Tanya had to stop herself when she started fantasizing about sex or violence… and often both at the same time. More than once Tanya feared her cock was about to start to grow and harden. How embarrassing would that be, growing long and hard simply off the scent of an Omega who was not even in heat? She was many, many centuries removed from her time as a hormonal teenager or as an insatiably horny newborn vampire.

_I should have definitely fed before coming here. _

"Where are we going?" Isabella asked quietly after they were almost thirty minutes out of Forks. Tanya was frankly surprised it had taken her this long to ask. Though she was clearly very nervous the girl didn't seem to be overly alarmed or in fear for her life. Didn't she have any self-preservation instincts? That must have been it because the young Miss Swan didn't strike Tanya as unintelligent. Dangerously naïve and trusting perhaps but not stupid.

The vampire cracked open one of the windows before breathing so she could speak. "A rest stop off the Calawah River," said Tanya in a neutral voice that very nearly gave the impression of being bored. "It's the most private spot I found within reasonable driving distance of Forks." She didn't add that it had been chosen because if Isabella decided she wanted to rant and yell and scream, there was an almost zero chance there would be another human soul anywhere nearby to hear her. Tanya didn't see this going smoothly and she didn't want to have to silence the girl if she started yelling about things she shouldn't at an inappropriate time.

It would also be a good place for young Miss Swan to meet her end if it came to that. Though the idea had started to seem increasingly distasteful Tanya would still do it. She had always been the one to make the hard decision for the Coven and the one to bear the burden of those decisions for the sake of her family. This time would be no different.

"Do we really have to go this far just to talk?" Isabella asked with a little break in her voice, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. _No, not stupid at all. But you are most definitely foolish Miss Swan. _

"You're not backing out, are you Miss Swan?" Tanya said, her voice teasing and with a hint of challenge. "I thought you said there were some questions you wanted answers to."

Isabella made an unhappy face at that, but in the end just crossed her arms and looked out the window without saying anything. The girl wanted answers so badly she was willing to take a nearly suicidal risk to get them, with no guarantee that she would learn whatever it was she sought so desperately. The Swan girl must have had a great deal of attachment and devotion to Edward and the Olympic Coven in general. For a brief moment Tanya felt an unexpected spark of envy flare up in her chest before she quickly smothered it out with the ease of long practice. The Alpha female bit the inside of her lip and frowned. It was disconcerting, all the emotions this little Omega seemed to be pulling out of her with no conscious effort on her part.

_The more quickly this matter is resolved the better._

Tanya drove deep into the national park, taking small unmarked service roads that she had memorized after glancing once at a detailed map. It wasn't too long until they came to a heavily wooded spot overlooking a fair sized river. Tanya stopped and turned off the truck off the side of the dirt road under the shade of trees a hundred feet tall. Rolling down her window all the way Tanya scented the air and listened. There were no signs of humans nearby, just the sounds of nature and the scents of animals, plants and water in the air. In fact it seemed that no humans had even passed this way in some time. They were completely alone. Exactly as she had wanted.

"I'm sorry," Isabella suddenly spoke up. Tanya turned to her with a questioning look. "Uh, I just realized I never asked your name," the girl said sounding genuinely contrite. "That was rude of me. I just, um had a lot on my mind," she finished lamely with a small hesitant smile on her lips.

Tanya unbuckled her seatbelt and turned her body in her seat to more fully face the young woman, leaning casually against the driver side door. "That's quite all right Miss Swan. In fact the onus was partly on me to introduce myself." Seeing no further need for them Tanya removed her sunglasses and slipped them into one of the pockets of the jacket she was wearing. When she looked at Isabella she knew her eyes were a few shades darker than they should have been. "You may call me Tanya. I am from a Coven… friendly to the Cullens, based out of Alaska. We call ourselves the Denali."

Isabella met her intense golden eyes for a second before ducking her head shyly and partly covering her face with a curtain of her dark hair. "Oh," said Isabella, for some reason sounding a bit more at ease than just moments before. "It's… it's nice to meet you Tanya. I'm Bella Swan. As you already know of course."

"Indeed," said Tanya, not bothering to hide a slightly amused and indulgent smile. The girl was still nervous around her, though if that was because she was alone with a vampire, an Alpha, or both was difficult to tell. However the lingering aroma of anxiety and fear had almost completely disappeared. Curious despite herself, Tanya decided to allow herself this indulgence and simply ask.

"Why are you not more frightened of me?" the vampire said tilting her head with genuine curiosity. "I dangled information and half bullied you into coming with me to an abandoned place in the middle of nowhere. I'm a stranger. I'm a vampire. I am an Alpha and you're very clearly an inexperienced Omega. All very good reasons why you should be exceedingly worried about finding yourself alone with me Miss Swan."

Isabella flushed in embarrassment and Tanya's eyes darkened another fraction with how that brought the girl's sinful scent even more to the surface. "Well when you put it that way it does sound really bad," the girl admitted self-consciously before looking up and giving Tanya a small, hesitant but genuine smile. "But you've been really nice to me so far all things considered. You could have just kidnapped me or something and there's nothing I could have done about it. Besides your eyes are golden," Isabella said shrugging a little. "I know what that means. It means you're one of the good vampires and that you probably won't hurt me on purpose."

_I'm one of the 'good' vampires because I have golden eyes? Dios Mío, young one. If you do end up in my Coven we're going to have to work on those self-preservation instincts of yours. _

Still it was strangely… touching to be given that much trust by a human, especially one that knew perfectly well what she was. Then again maybe her knowledge was full of holes and misconceptions. How else could you explain her cavalier attitude about finding herself alone with a vampire? With a being who had to restrain herself every second from leaping across the cab of the truck to either fuck her, or drain her dry, or more likely both?

"You flatter me Miss Swan, though you may not think so highly of me after you hear what I have to say," Tanya said mysteriously. Isabella's hesitant small smile faltered into a look of dread. For a moment Tanya felt regret before pushing the feeling away with the ease of long practice. Before the girl had a chance to answer or think up horrible scenarios in her mind Tanya spoke again. "However we did have a deal. You said you had some questions you wanted answers to, yes? Go ahead and ask. I'll do my best to answer so long as I'm not violating anyone else's trust."

The young Miss Swan closed her eyes and her whole body shook briefly as if suddenly assaulted with a sharp bout of unexpected pain. Tanya saw her whole demeanor shift to what she had seen earlier when the Cullens had been brought up, every movement and her very posture screaming out her pain, her confusion, her defeat. Once again Tanya found herself surprised by how deeply this girl had been hurt. Was it foolishness on her part? Simple overblown teenage melodrama? Or had this human girl really given her heart to a family of vampires to such a profound extent?

Seeing the girl in such pain made the vampire inexplicably uncomfortable… and it made her want to find and ask the Cullens just what the hell they had been thinking. _Carlisle and Esme at least should have really known better_.

"Do you know…" the girl began haltingly as she looked up to meet Tanya's eyes. "Do you know why they left? Did they tell you why they left?"

Tanya crossed her legs and leaned back against the door with all the grace and haughtiness of a queen sitting on her throne. "I have not spoken to them since their disappearance. They neglected to inform my Coven of their sudden decision to relocate and did not even bother to leave any lines of communication open to us. That's how we first learned that something was wrong. We were unable to get in contact with them by any of our usual means."

Isabella's expression crumpled and her eyes fell to her lap. "Oh," she said, sounding lost and broken. "So you don't know anything then," she muttered, more to herself than to the vampire.

"I wouldn't say that," said Tanya with the smallest hint of a smile, "I've known Carlisle for almost two centuries now. I know how he thinks, and I know that family almost as well as my own. To you they may have seemed a group of mysterious and wonderful vampires but to me they are simply a Coven of young vampires that is not without its flaws. Tell me, would I be correct in assuming that their departure had to do with you? And that Edward was the instigator of the whole move?"

At the sound of the name 'Edward' the girl seemed to pale and shrink in on herself further, the scent of despair rising into the air like pungent perfume. Young Isabella nodded shakily, having to try a few times before she could get the words out. "He said he wanted me to have a human life. He said… he said a lot of things to me."

"Edward hates being a vampire. Did you know that?" asked Tanya. By the shocked look Swan sent her Tanya knew the answer to her question. "I won't go into much detail but he thinks we are cursed creatures, doomed to go to hell. Foolishness really," said Tanya dismissively. "If I had to guess I'd say that is ultimately what caused him to push you away and run. Carlisle always did spoil him too much, giving in to his sometimes ridiculous whims far too often. As to the others," Tanya said with a shrug, "I don't know how close you were to any of them but if Carlisle ordered them to keep their distance they would have no choice but to obey. That is how a Coven works. Again this is all conjecture, but knowing that Coven as well as I do I am almost certain that is how events must have played out."

Tanya paused, taking a brief moment to examine the attractive young woman sitting across from her. She was now frowning slightly, struggling to process everything that Tanya had just casually laid out at her feet. After a few long moments of intense concentration the young Miss Swan shook her head slightly, though her words told another story. "They never did tell me very much about vampires or how it all works but… it fits. Wh-what you said. I can very easily see Edward hating himself and pushing his family to stay away from me," the girl said, her voice broken, angry and bitter. "I would have still loved him. Would still love him. He didn't have the right. He just… didn't."

They sat in silence for several long moments, Isabella lost in her own thoughts and pain and Tanya looking at the girl, trying to figure out what it was about her that seemed to give her the power to turn vampires into knots around themselves. Even Tanya herself was not immune. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had such a strong reaction to a human as she did to this one little Omega that went by the name Isabella Marie Swan.

"Is there anything else you would like to ask me Miss Swan?" Tanya asked her gently.

The girl wiped her face and nose with her sleeve before making a visible effort to put herself together, even if she still kept her head down. Shaking her head slightly she said, "No. I… I can't really think of anything else right now."

"Well then," said Tanya, suddenly using the grave and no-nonsense voice she used as Coven Leader, "Allow me to explain to you why I'm here."

000

**A/N: A longer chapter this time. Not super long but longer for sure. How do you think the story is going? Anything specific you might like to see? Let me know what you think.**


	5. Chapter 5

When delivering unpleasant news to strangers it is generally best to lay out the situation in a calm and factual manner while still showing just a small amount of sympathy. Too much coddling tended to get the point across poorly and open the door for willful blindness and denial. Too harsh and people tended to lash out in anger. Still sometimes no matter how you presented it people were still going to react poorly… especially when you happened to be perceived as the one culpable for their ill fortune.

Young Miss Swan looked at Tanya, her eyes full of apprehension and lingering pain from the conversation that had just played out moments before. Looking at the young Miss Swan the elder vampire found to her surprise that she had quickly taken a liking to young Omega girl sitting just a few feet across from her. She was unique… interesting in so many little ways. Her scent. Her unusual fearlessness towards vampires. Her rather naïve and transparent way of presenting herself to the world. Perhaps Tanya was beginning to understand the reluctance of the Cullens to killing the girl.

Not that any of that would stop Tanya if it came to it. Though she wasn't a remorseless killer any longer she remembered well enough how to be one… and she would not allow anything to threaten her family. Not while she had any power to say otherwise.

"Tell me Miss Swan," Tanya began, "do you know anything about our laws?"

Confusion showed in the girl's features before she shook her head.

"As I thought," Tanya said, aggravation tinting her tone, though the aggravation was directed more at the Cullens than at the girl in front of her. "Then again I don't suppose they would have told you anything about it, would they? They seemed quite content to keep you in the dark." Tanya paused for a long thoughtful moment before continuing.

"There is one large, powerful coven that makes and enforces the laws for all our kind…," she began, "and believe me when I say they are strong enough to enforce their rule across the entire world. They have few laws but only one of them is really relevant in this case. _No human may know of the existence of vampires_. Secrecy their most sacrosanct law. The penalty for breaking this law is death for all those involved."

Tanya looked at the girl as she blinked in confusion before her eyes slowly widened as she began to realize the implications. She looked absolutely blindsided and horrified, momentarily stunned speechless. Tanya decided to continue and get everything out there as quickly as possible.

"Allowing you to become aware of the existence of vampires Miss Swan was… acceptable, so long as there was an understanding that you would soon be turned into a vampire yourself," Tanya continued. "In fact when I first learned of your existence I naturally assumed that is what would happen eventually. However in an… _extremely_ foolish move the Olympic Coven decided to simply leave you behind. By doing this all of them have willfully and deliberately broken the law… meaning that in the eyes of the Volturi – the powerful coven I spoke of – all their lives are forfeit. Should the Volturi ever learn about their dealings with you Miss Swan the most likely outcome is that all the Cullens will be killed."

The look on Isabella's face was one of shock, disbelief and horror. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she finally managed to speak. "That… you mean, all their lives are in danger… because of me?" she asked in a strangled whisper, as if somehow saying it too loudly might bring the Volturi swooping down upon them.

"I prefer to think – and it is infinitely more accurate to say – that they are in danger because of their own stupidity," replied Tanya. "I will be blunt Miss Swan. Despite their mistakes and flaws the Cullens are like family to me, and your continued existence poses a clear and present danger to their lives. I am here to ensure that after today, one way or the other, you will no longer be a threat to their continued existence."

Isabella looked like she might be sick, looking at Tanya with an extremely pained and… almost resigned expression. "You're here to kill me, aren't you?" she asked with a slight tremble in her voice. The young Miss Swan however didn't seem like she was about to descend into a blind panic. Overall Tanya was moderately impressed with how well she seemed to be taking this, all things considered.

"That is one possibility," admitted Tanya easily, "though if that were all there was to it I would hardly have taken the time to speak to you, now would I?"

"Um… I-I suppose not," Isabella stammered, her pretty brown eyes wide and frightened looking. The very stimulating scent of her fear was thick in the air now, so much so that Tanya's eyelids half closed for a moment due to the tantalizing assault on her senses. The girl gasped when she saw the vampire's already darkened eyes turn completely black.

"I won't lie, it is very tempting to kill you Miss Swan. It would have certainly been the… easiest route for me to take. I'm sure I don't need to tell you how very tempting you smell to my kind," said Tanya. The smell of Isabella's fear thickened even further and the vampire had to restrain herself from purposefully scaring the girl further just to get a little bit more of that scent. In fact she had already frightened young Isabella more than was necessary… such a slip in control was sobering for a being who prided herself on her control. With a titanic effort of will Tanya began to reign in her desires and slowly her eyes changed from black back to the color of dark honey.

"So… yo-you're not going to kill me?" the girl asked in a small, uncertain voice, almost as if she thought asking might somehow cause the vampire to change her mind.

"That is entirely up to you dear, and why I took the time to bring you out here to talk to you," said Tanya, feeling a bit better after having forcefully regained some measure of control. "There are two ways I can protect my cousins. Which way I do so will be up to you."

"Up to me?" Isabella asked, sounding incredulous.

"Yes," confirmed Tanya in a voice that was almost a purr. "As I stated the simplest solution would be your death. The second option is turning you into one of us… turning you into a vampire. If that were to happen then the Cullens would be safe from the law."

"T-turning me into a vampire?" Isabella gasped incredulously. Somehow the concept seemed to completely shock her, which Tanya found somewhat odd. Surely it was something the girl had thought about before?

"Yes. More specifically you would become a vampire of my coven. You would be under my… jurisdiction you could say for at least the first few decades. That means you live under my law, you follow my rules and you do as you are told. After that time you would be free to leave the coven should you so choose… though of course you would be allowed to stay if that is what you desired," Tanya said in even, soothing tones that somehow seemed to help Isabella calm down a little.

The young Miss Swan looked to be brimming with questions, hardly knowing where to start. Eventually she began hesitantly with, "So… you're the coven leader then? Like Carlisle?"

"Well, I run things quite a bit differently than he does," said Tanya, a little bit amused at the comparison. Their leadership style and their age difference was so large it almost felt disingenuous to present them as being the same thing. "But we do hold the same position of leadership in our respective covens, yes."

Isabella seemed to mull that over, biting her lip in thoughtful silence with a frown on her face. _Thus far she is taking this surprisingly well_. Wiping her hands on her jeans nervously she asked, "So… you're saying my choices are joining your coven or… ugh… death?" The last word came out in a squeak.

Tanya had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. "That is what I said, yes."

"Could I… uh is it possible…" Isabella said, stammering, "… could I… maybe join the Cullens… or talk to them… if I become a vampire… maybe…?"

Tanya tried not to feel a spike of anger and annoyance at that with… mixed success. "They abandoned you and yet you still pine for them so?" Tanya asked, a hint of derision in her tone. "I'll assume that you are simply ignorant and not attempting to be insulting." Tanya paused and took a breath, not sure why the girl's butchered question had bothered her so much. The vampire locked eyes with the girl, practically nailing her place, to make sure she understood how serious the next words from the coven leader were. "You would be my vampire, in _my_ coven, and you would not be free to go until I released you. Understand that very clearly. However after those few decades that I talked about passed, and if you wished to leave, and if the Cullens would have you, then you would be perfectly free to go to them if that is what you chose. However," Tanya added, her tone softening, "our covens are close and in the past the Cullens have visited often. I'm sure you would get the chance to speak to them and sort out any issues that still linger between you… eventually."

The girl nodded slightly and looked away from Tanya's intimidating gaze, hugging her arms to herself. Miss Swan seemed to retreat into her thoughts and Tanya let her, knowing that anyone would need at least some time to process. The sun was beginning to set and the woods around them were quickly becoming dark with the incoming night. They sat in silence for a few minutes until the steadily lowering temperature caused Isabella to start shivering slightly.

"I wanted to be turned you know," the girl said quietly, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. "I wanted to be with… _him_ forever. Part of me hopes that if I become a vampire he might get over his hang-ups and we can be together. But… he left me once already." She threw her head back and made a frustrated sound somewhere between a groan and a cry of pain. "Would he even still want me? Would it even still be the same? Could I really trust him again? … I'm just so confused."

A few moments of silence passed between them before Tanya spoke up in a surprisingly gentle voice. "Becoming a vampire means giving up your whole life. Friends, family, home, all these things you will have to give up. If you main motivation is the hope of love… well, as your much more experienced elder I would advise against it. Edward is often… fickle and volatile, in his own way. This is a decision you should make for yourself and not for anyone else."

Isabella huffed in laughter at that. "Well my only other option is letting you kill me," she said, bitterness and anger lacing her tone as she suddenly turned a glare towards Tanya. "It doesn't sound like I have much of a choice."

"You always have a choice," said Tanya, meeting the girl's eyes unflinchingly but not unkindly. "In some ways our life truly is a cursed existence Isabella. This is doubly true for you as an Omega. You will retain your mating instincts that come with your heat, only enhanced and amplified many fold as a vampire. Coupled with the bloodlust it can often feel like we are nothing but beasts driven and ruled by our appetites and desires. It is a constant battle to retain our humanity and it is a battle that never, ever ends. Many find death a preferable alternative."

Isabella blushed suddenly, breaking eye contact and looking off to the side. "I've never experienced going fully into heat. I've always been on the pill since I hit puberty," she admitted quietly.

"It's not something you'll be able to escape as a vampire. Hormone suppressing drugs don't work on us," informed Tanya. For some reason this seemed to unsettle Isabella as she sent Tanya a brief uncomfortable look. It was understandable really. Tanya was an Alpha and when an Omega went into heat near them… well, throughout history much had been made of the nearly irresistible pull an Alpha feels towards an Omega that is signaling she is ready to breed.

"I won't take advantage of you, nor will I allow anyone in my coven to do so. You have my word," Tanya promised solemnly. A bit surprisingly this actually seemed to put Isabella more at ease, though she still seemed nervous at the prospect of having uncontrolled heats. No Omega wanted to risk mating with someone they would regret in an uncontrolled hormonal haze.

"I, I don't want to die," said Isabella quietly before braving to meet Tanya's eyes. Miss Swan licked her lips nervously Tanya couldn't help but let her gaze linger briefly on the girl's full mouth. "And I don't believe that you… vampires… are cursed and don't have a soul." The girl took a deep shuddering breath. "I guess if the only choices you're giving me are death or vampire… then… I'm going to choose vampire."

At her words a weight that Tanya hadn't realized had settled on her chest suddenly lifted. Yes, she had suspected this outcome but one could never tell for sure. A slightly wicked smile spread across Tanya's lips. She felt much more pleased with this outcome than she had ever imagined she would back when she had first been presented with the problem of one Isabella Swan.

"Excellent," said Tanya. Going with an impulse she reached over and gently cupped the girl's chin in one hand. The girl froze, wide eyed, as Tanya leaned over and planted a chaste, tender kiss on her forehead.

"Welcome to the family."


	6. Chapter 6

_"Excellent," said Tanya. Going with an impulse she reached over and gently cupped the girl's chin in one hand. The girl froze, wide eyed, as Tanya leaned over and planted a chaste, tender kiss on her forehead._

_"Welcome to the family."_

It was perfectly understandable, Tanya mused, that the girl looked quite a bit shaken up. The elder vampire just looked at Ms. Swan thoughtfully while the young woman quietly processessed the last few minutes. It was sometimes easy to forget how quickly things could change. Tanya had not been joking or exaggerating when she'd spoken words of welcome into her family. The girl in front of her was now someone that Tanya had committed herself to care deeply about, one way or the other. It felt rushed and decidedly odd – she felt the situation compared a bit to a last minute arranged marriage – but the unusual circumstances leading to her acquiring a new member of her Coven would not stop Tanya from doing everything she could to make things work. Assuming everything went well and the girl kept up her side of the bargain of course.

"So… what happens now?" the girl asked in a small voice, eyes on her lap and fingers worrying the hem of her sweater.

_This is going to get harder before it gets easier._ "I've arranged for transportation. We'll abandon this vehicle here. A short hike across the woods and we'll find another road with another car waiting for us. Then we'll drive to a small airport where a private plane is waiting to take us to Alaska."

Tanya fully expected the girl to protest and she wasn't disappointed. Her eyes widened and she had to try a few times before actually being able to speak. "But… but that's so fast! And what… what about my stuff and…" the girl swallowed thickly, a pained look suddenly on her face, "… what about my dad? What am I going to tell him?"

"It is best," Tanya began gently, "to suddenly disappear without a trace in these types of situations. As much as you may want to you cannot stay in contact with anyone from your previous life. It is best to suddenly cut things quickly and cleanly. Anything else would just make for a longer and more painful process, not to mention a far riskier one."

"I can't… I can't just disappear like that on my dad," said the young Ms. Swan, sounding truly distressed at the notion. She looked up at Tanya, big brown eyes pleading. "At least let me leave him a note. To let him know I wasn't kidnapped or… or that anything horrible happened to me."

Tanya eyed the girl, her expression apologetic but firm. "I'm sorry but no. We are on a schedule and… well. It may not seem like it now but leaving a note like that will be harder on you. Symbolically and psychologically simply leaving is the best break you can make with your old life. A tearful goodbye note, taking things from your past, all of that tends to make the emotional transition that much more difficult. Not what you need along with all the stresses of soon becoming a vampire."

The girl's expression turned angry and for a moment Tanya thought that the young Ms. Swan was actually going to start yelling at her. Then, surprisingly, the girl exhaled loudly and all the energy seemed to go out of her as she focused her gaze on her lap. Suddenly the young woman before her looked weary and so very sad.

"Please," the girl said pleadingly, looking up at Tanya with unshed tears shining in her eyes. "I don't care if it's harder for me. At least… at the very least I can't just leave my dad wondering, imagining all sorts of terrible things without ever having any answers."

Seeing Tanya's unmoved expression the girl swallowed nervously. Biting her lip, she lowered her eyes and bowed her head in submission. "Please. I'm begging you. At least… at least give me this much. I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't do this."

Tanya hesitated, feeling torn. On the one hand long experience had taught her that even something as simple as leaving a note could make the process of letting go of her old life that much more difficult… an especially serious concern if the girl was going to be turned soon. On the other hand… she really didn't like how much distress this seemed to be causing the young woman.

Throughout popular culture throughout the ages much had been made of the powerful and decisive Alphas and how they completely controlled the lives of their Omegas who were always eager to please and to obey. The truth of course was not so very simple and one sided. Just as Omegas had their instincts to serve so did Alphas had equally strong instincts to protect. Any Alpha worth their salt would be distinctly… uncomfortable at seeing an Omega in distress and Tanya was no exception.

Protecting, making sure they were taken care of, that they were happy… these were instincts Tanya had in abundance and that she had lived with for a long time. The vampire closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was common enough that an Omega would use their distress to try to manipulate an Alpha but for the life of her Tanya didn't think that is what was happening right now. Young Isabella Swan seemed genuinely distressed, without an ounce of guile, and that just made her desire to ease the girl's pain all the more powerful and immediate.

This girl… she didn't know why but everything about her just seemed to be affecting Tanya way more than it should. Frankly it was somewhat unsettling. _Keep it together. Make rational, informed decisions. The Coven counts on you to do that. Even Ms. Swan needs that from you even if she doesn't realize it yet. _

In the end however she just couldn't find it in herself to say no to such a heartfelt plea. Opening her eyes Tanya gave the young woman a slightly annoyed look. "All right. I do not think it is the best idea, but I will allow you to write to your father."

At hearing that Isabella's whole frame seemed to sag with relief. "Thank you," she said in a small voice, the sincerity plain to hear in her tone.

The more base parts of Tanya urged her to use that 'gratefulness', to pull Miss Swan over on to her lap and impale the pretty little Omega on her cock. Maybe while sinking her fangs into that long, pale neck while letting her life blood spill down her throat. Tanya shivered almost imperceptibly at that strong mental image. _Well she is an attractive… and single Omega. One that seems to pull all kinds of reactions from you with nary a thought._

Tanya shackled those thoughts viciously and put them away. For now she was a mentor and now she was also responsible for the girl sitting directly across from her. Anything potentially… more was going to have to wait.

"There are rules though," Tanya said in a strong and steady Coven-leader voice that gave away none of her previous thoughts. "We won't be stopping back by your house. We'll drive to another town where you may write your letter. You will let me read it to make sure it doesn't have any information we shouldn't be giving away. Then we will mail it. Is that satisfactory?"

The young woman just looked at her cautiously, and it was with visible reluctance that she nodded. "Yeah, I guess that will work."

"Well good," said Tanya before opening the driver side door. "Then we should get going. Come on. We have still got a few hours of travel ahead of us."

Hesitantly the young Ms. Swan followed Tanya and exited the truck. The vampire turned and began to walk into the woods at a pace slow enough for a human to easily follow. She pretended not to notice when the girl gave one last long mournful look at the beat up old truck that she owned before following without a word.

Night had just fallen but it was a full moon, bright and big enough in the sky that Tanya thought the girl should have no problems in navigating the wood. However Tanya quickly began to wonder if she had… overestimated the eyesight of this particular human. Three times within a few minutes the girl stumbled and nearly fallen. The fourth time she tripped over something she actually did fall, losing her balance and landing on her rear with a startled squeak of pain. At this point Tanya began to get concerned. _Humans are fragile, she could easily hurt herself if she can't see where she's going. If she manages to cut herself it will make this trip a lot more… interesting than it needs to be as well. _

Tanya turned and walked back to where the girl was before crouching down next to her. Ms. Swan didn't notice her until they were at eye level, the girl jumping in surprise at suddenly seeing the vampire so close. _Human senses are truly very bad, aren't they?_

"Are you having a hard time seeing where you're going?" asked Tanya gently, somewhat surprising herself by the level of concern in her voice. "I am sorry if that's the case. I had assumed the light of the moon would have been enough for you to navigate by."

"Ah, no…" said the girl, looking away and scratching her neck sheepishly. Tanya could easily smell the light blush creeping across her cheeks. "I'm just really clumsy. I'd probably be tripping over myself just as much in broad daylight. Traipsing through the woods isn't really my thing."

"Oh, is that so?" said Tanya, the lightest hint of amusement coloring her tone. "Well I can't very well allow you to continue tripping over yourself and potentially getting hurt Ms. Swan." With that Tanya stood up in one smooth, sinuous movement before holding out her hand to the young woman.

The girl hesitated before taking Tanya's hand. It was warm and soft and Tanya could feel the currents of blood flowing beneath the surface. Gently the vampire helped the girl to her feet.

Giving the girl a reassuring smile Tanya turned around and continued walking, never letting go of Ms. Swan's hand. After a moment the young woman tried to pull her hand away but Tanya didn't let her. At seeing the girl's questioning look Tanya gave her a reassuring and somewhat teasing smile.

"Now, now, I really can't have you falling all over the place Ms. Swan. Unless you prefer I carry you holding your hand is the simplest way of making sure you don't get hurt."

Tanya could easily smell the girl's cheeks reddening further from embarrassment. "I'm not a baby," she mumbled, "I don't need someone to hold my hand."

Tanya began walking. "I am quite ancient Ms. Swan, to me in many ways you might as well be a baby. Besides," she said, her tone taking on a playful teasing lilt, "it had been an eternity since I've had a new baby vampire in the Coven to fuss over and care for. That goes for all of us really. Do allow us the indulgence if you would. I'm quite certain you will end up spoiled positively rotten before too long."

Somehow that seemed to embarrass the girl further but she didn't reply and she didn't try to take her hand away again. They continued on through the woods in silence, Tanya making sure to go slow enough so the human would have no trouble keeping up. Even then however the girl seemed to stumble and lose her balance every thirty feet forcing Tanya to aid her in keeping upright. The soft string of curses that started coming from the girl after a few more minutes of this were hilarious. Tanya would have laughed out loud if she wasn't certain it would either offend or distress the girl. _You really are very clumsy aren't you? Like a newborn foal. _It was really very endearing though she doubted the girl would appreciate the sentiment.

Neither spoke to the other for almost twenty minutes. Holding the girl's hand… it felt good. Tanya kept her senses on high alert for any sign of danger all around them. Simply looking out for the girl, holding her hand, keeping her safe… it felt oddly fulfilling in a way she did not expect. Perhaps it was because it had been so long since she had interacted with any unattached Omegas. Tanya gave the hand she was holding small, almost imperceptible squeeze. The girl was certainly special, Tanya no longer had any doubts about that. It would have been… hard if she'd had to kill her. Thankfully things had not come to that.

Eventually the road Tanya was looking for came into sight. They were nearly out of the woods when the girl spoke in a quiet voice.

"I don't like Ms. Swan."

Tanya stopped and turned around with a questioning look. "Oh?" she asked. The girl tried to subtly pull her hand out of the vampire's grip but Tanya held on.

For some reason she seemed embarrassed, ducking her head and hiding behind her hair. "I mean," she said suddenly seeming very unsure of herself. "I'd rather you just call me by my first name. If you don't mind."

Tanya blinked at that. Sometimes she forgot her manners and mannerisms could be a few decades out of date. She gave the girl a reassuring smile, her pale features almost seeming to glow under the light of the moon. "I don't mind at all. I should call you Isabella then?"

The girl shrugged, the ghost of a smile curling at the corner of her lips. "Or Bella. Either one is fine."

"All right then… Isabella," said Tanya slowly as she tasted the word. It was a lovely name, and even more lovely attached to the girl in front of her. "We're almost at the car. Shall we?"

The mention of the vehicle seemed to bring the girl – Isabella's – mood down for some reason. The vampire frowned lightly as it seemed that something was suddenly bothering her new charge. The girl wrapped her one free arm around her torso, suddenly looking very small and vulnerable.

"Isabella?" Tanya asked gently, the tenderness and concern in her voice surprising both women for different reasons.

"I…" the girl began briefly before looking away, "I guess… are you for real? Is this for real?"

Tanya frowned slightly at that. "I'm not sure what you mean, dear." Absently she stroked the girl's knuckles with her thumb in a calming gesture almost by instinct.

"You're not…" she began before halting. Taking a breath she looked down at her toes and said in a small voice, "… I don't think I can handle rejection a second time, especially since I'm… I'm having to give up everything to protect _them_. Which I would have done anyway, but…" she looked up, daring to meet Tanya's eyes. Isabella's gaze was nothing if not filled to the brim with chaotic emotion. "Y-you're not just going to get tired of me one day are you? Because if that's a possibility I'd like to know ahead of time. I'd rather not… I can't just open myself up again if the same thing might happen all over again. I just… I just _can't_. Can you understand that?"

Tanya discovered then that she really hated seeing Isabella in distress. The girl looked on the verge of tears and Tanya had to school her features not to show the anger she was feeling… anger at the Cullens and their thoughtless, callous handling of this situation. And they claimed they loved this girl? One might be better off without that particular brand of love. It had certainly done a lot of damage in this particular instance.

Knowing what she needed to do Tanya took the hand she was holding and pulled the girl towards her. Isabella gave a little squeak of surprise before she found herself pressed up against Tanya's chest, embraced in a firm but gentle hug. The scent of the girl was intoxicating this close and for a fraction of a second Tanya's mind went completely blank as the totality of Isabella Swan invaded her senses.

Isabella for her part struggled briefly before – for whatever reason – settling down against Tanya's chest, her breathing quick and loud in the relative silence of the nighttime forest. Tanya smelled a bit of fear but no real distress. _Good_. After a few moments the vampire spoke.

"I offered you the option of becoming part of my Coven," began Tanya in a strong, almost paternal voice. "And you accepted. Did you not?"

Isabella swallowed before answering in a shaky voice. "Yes."

"I do not offer such things lightly because they are a serious commitment for all involved," Tanya said, moving to gently stroke Isabella's hair with one hand. "I told you that if you accepted you would live under my law, and that you would obey me in all things. Remember that?"

Isabella didn't answer, instead just nodding into Tanya's chest and sinking in a little deeper into the embrace.

"What I didn't tell you was the commitment on my end," Tanya began before pausing, thinking of how best to phrase what she wanted to say. "A Coven is a little bit like an Alpha and Omega relationship. As a member of my Coven it is your duty to obey. As your leader it is my duty to keep you safe and to take care of each and every one of you. It is a sacred commitment and one that I take very, _very_ seriously. Until such a time as you might wish to leave the Coven I will always be there to take care of you and protect you when you need it young one."

Isabella swallowed again, the grip of her hands tightening around Tanya's coat. "Really?" she asked in a voice that sounded small and _oh so young_.

"Yes," said Tanya with firm conviction as she lightly stroked Isabella's hair, "you are _my_ vampire now. Or you will be. I'll turn you myself. I will be your mother, your mentor and Alpha to you all at once. Though there is no guarantee we will always be close as your sire there will always be a strong bond between us. You," for some reason she couldn't explain Tanya's voice hitched at that moment, "You'll never have to leave me if you don't want to. The same goes for the Coven as a whole. You have a permanent home Isabella, for all eternity, should you want it."

The girl didn't say anything but something about the way she shuddered and clung tighter to Tanya made the elder vampire think she had gotten through to the girl. She could smell the girl's falling tears and though it didn't exactly please her she knew that the tears were at least partly in relief. Tanya suspected that this was not the last they had seen of the girl's abandonment issues but for the time being it was enough.

"Come now," said Tanya, reluctantly pulling away and moving to guide them towards the waiting car. "Let us go. We still have a plane to catch tonight."


End file.
